The Log of a Cowboy : A Narrative of the Old Trail Days

Andy Adams

ISBN 10: 0803250002 / ISBN 13: 9780803250000

Published by Bison Books Mai 1964, 1964

About this Item

Neuware - J. Frank Dobie, in his Guide to Life and Literature of the Old Southwest, has declared that 'if all other books on trail-driving were destroyed, a reader could still get a just and authentic conception of trail men, trail work, range cattle, cow horses, and the cow country in general from The Log of a Cowboy.' First published in 1903, Andy Adams' classic narrative, based on his own experiences during the days of the 'long drive,' continues to be used and cited by historians of the Old West as the best and most reliable account of its kind. The Bison Book edition is reproduced from the first edition, with illustrations by E. Boyd Smith.

Seller Inventory # 9780803250000

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Log of a Cowboy : A Narrative of the Old Trail Days
• Publisher: Bison Books Mai 1964
• Publication Date: 1964
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0803250002
• ISBN 13: 9780803250000
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 202W x 135H x 21D millimeters 202 millimeters width by 135 millimeters height by 21 millimeters depth
• Weight: 422 grams

About this title

Synopsis

What are the connections between cattle branding and Christian salvation, between livestock castration and square dancing, between cattle rustling and the making of spurs and horsehair bridles in prison, between children's coloring books and cowboy poetry as it is practiced today? The Cowboy uses literary, historical, folkloric, and pop and cultural sources to document ways in which cowboys address religion, gender, economics, and literature. Arguing that cowboys are defined by the work they do, Allmendinger sets out in each chapter to investigate one form of labor (such as branding, castration, or rustling) in the cowboy's "work culture." He looks at early oral poems recited around campfires, on trail drives, at roundups, and at home in ranch bunkhouses, and at later poems, histories, and autobiographies written by cowboys about their work - most of which have never before received scholarly attention. Allmendinger shows how these texts address larger concerns than the work at hand - including art, morality, spirituality, and male sexuality. In addition to spotlighting little-known texts, art, and archival sources, The Cowboy examines the works of Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Willa Cather, Louis L'Amour, Larry McMurtry, and others. Unique among studies of the American cowboy, Allmendinger's study looks at what cowboys thought of themselves, and the ways in which they represented those thoughts in their own prose, poetry, and artifacts. Richly illustrated with photographs of cowboys at work and at play, many previously unpublished, The Cowboy will interest scholars of American literature and history, and American Studies, as well as those interested in Western history and culture,folklore, and gender studies.

Review

""The Log of a Cowboy" is the finest piece of literature that the cattle-country has produced." - Douglas Branch in "The Cowboy and His Interpreters". "If all other books on trail-driving were destroyed, a reader could get an authentic conception of trail men, trail work, range cattle, cow horses, and the cow country in general from "The Log of a Cowboy"." - J. Frank Dobie. "As a narrative of cowboy life, Andy Adams' book is clearly the real thing. It carries its own certificate of authentic first-hand experience on every page." - Chicago Herald. "Since the movie producers have little regard for actuality, we must look to literature to preserve the truth of the cattle trail era for us... Andy Adams did it excellently well when he wrote "The Log of a Cowboy". Adams spent twelve years in the saddle in Texas. He began writing when broke after seeing a ludicrous and false depiction of cattle-range life... "The Log of a Cowboy" is the work of a realist." - "The New Republic".